Practice-Ready Experiential Learning

Practice-ready experiences make perfect! Having some professional experience can sometimes make it hard to get the full benefit from mock experiences. Because to gain the full benefit of a mock or practice-ready experience, the student must completely “buy-in” to his role. In my Interview, Counseling, and Negotiations third year law class, students were required to complete two mock client interviews. Although uncomfortable at first, my partner and I bought in, and as a result gained invaluable insights.

In particular, the experience helped to reinforce certain important principles: (1) preparation is the key to success; (2) the perception-reality gap is hard to close; and, (3) practice makes perfect.

Preparation Is The Key To Success

Alexander Graham Bell famously said, “Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.” Coming from an athletic background, I knew this mantra to be true. So I entered both my practice and final interviews well prepared, with a detailed outline. The well-organized outline allowed me to focus on other important elements of an effective legal interview, like style, self-image, active listening, etc. Like athletics, in the law, preparation is fundamental to success.

The Perception-Reality Gap Is Hard To Close

I think all young lawyers can “feel” that there is a perception-reality gap that exists between a client and lawyer. On point, an Akron Law Review article states, “Some of the difference in perceptions may be explained by the lawyer’s and the client’s role expectations for him and the other in the situation . . . They are part of the general human tendency to judge new things on the basis of past experience.” Closing this gap quickly is essential to building trust with the client, to get to the truth of the matter. I believe this speaks, at least in part, to self-awareness. I tried out a few things in my first interview in an effort to close this gap. In reflection, I became more self-aware. I improved on certain tactics that worked, and eliminated those that didn’t, in my second interview.

Success is the Consequence of Practice and Repetition

We’ve all heard the phrase “practice makes perfect.” In an article in TodayOnline.com, Mr. Anders Ericsson, in a series of articles, popularized the concept that practice, not talent, as the main ingredient for success. Mr. Anders Ericsson stated: “Many studies that looked at highly successful individuals show intelligence alone is not a good predictor of success. Success is the consequence of practice and repetition. There are no shortcuts. It is based on pushing oneself to do better and better.” This rang true in the exercise. I look forward to the next chance to practice, to get better!

Overall, I found the practice-ready interview exercise very beneficial. I found it particularly beneficial that each interview was filmed. Not only did it allow film review to spot errors for improvement, but I also discovered that it’s a remedy for students who might not otherwise commit themselves to their acting roles. Perhaps this is explained by the scientific “Observer Effect” principle, but in any event, the bottom-line: if it’s videotaped, you buy-in!